


Haunted

by rxinhartlove



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: 7 years later, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Crying, Dark Jughead Jones, F/M, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Making Up, One Shot, Sad Betty Cooper, Sad Jughead Jones, kind of happy?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-12 22:33:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28643001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rxinhartlove/pseuds/rxinhartlove
Summary: The day after high school graduation, Jughead found out about Betty and Archie, and ended things with her. 7 years later, Betty finds herself back in the wicked town she once called home, and runs into the last love of her young life. But it's been 7 years and they are not the same they were at 17 years old.
Relationships: Betty Cooper & Jughead Jones, Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones
Comments: 1
Kudos: 40





	Haunted

**Author's Note:**

> Hey loves!! With season 5 around the corner, I was struct with the idea of how Jug and Betty would meet after the 7 years. This is not what I think will ACTUALLY happen but I was listening to Haunted by Taylor Swift and came up with this. Enjoy!!

Betty did not know how she found herself back here. When she left for New Haven over half a decade ago, she wanted to never look back. But deep down, she always knew she would have to come back _eventually_. As she walked down the streets of her hometown, she nervously bit the inside of her cheek. She hadn't left in good terms with everyone, but hoped that 7 years later, they wouldn't hold too much of a grudge. Betty played with the strand of her long locks, the tight ponytail long forgotten when she had left for college. As she got closer to her house she recalled the night after graduation.

_Betty and Jughead were home alone, lying on the couch of the Cooper/Jones house, talking about mindless things and just basking in each other's presence. Jughead was leaning against the arm of the couch as she was tucked against his chest with her legs sprawled out in between his. Betty looked up at him as he looked down at her with a sparkle in his eye. She knew how_ _hopelessly in love they both were with each other, but the minute Jughead had looked into her eyes like that and smiled, she felt tears spring to her own. She quickly averted her eyes, praying he didn't notice. But he knew her better than anyone and realized instantly._

_"Betts? What's wrong? Did I do something?" He questioned warily. She blanched and sat up. Before she could stop herself, her face was buried in her hands and she was sobbing. Jughead began to panic and put his arm around her. This only made her cry harder, and he noticed and started talking._

_"Betty, baby, please talk to me. What is it?" He was practically begging her. She looked up and shook her head, the tears making it impossible to speak._

_"You can tell me anything, you know that Betts. I'll never judge you." She wanted to run out and never come back. She knew that once she told him, he may never want anything to do with her again. But she didn't have a choice._

_She took a few breaths and looked up at him._

_"I did something," she started, as the tears continued down her face. He looked at her, waiting for her to continue._

_"I kissed Archie."_

_It was finally out. She didn't feel relived or guiltfree. She felt worse when she saw his worried eyes turn pained. He waited for her to continue._

_"Jug, I was angry at you the day you weren't doing your assignments and didn't know who to talk to pleas-"_

_"Stop." He stood up and ran a hand over his face. "Is that all that happened?"_

_She looked up at him with guilt, "We didn't kiss after or anything, but we met in the bunker a few times, to figure out why that happened I guess.. I was just confused and-"_

_"Confused, Betty? Confused about what? Whether you love me? Whether you're IN love with me?" Her bottom lip quivered. "Tell me Betty. What were you confused about?"_

_"I don't know Jug, Okay?! I was just worried about our future and you weren't listening!"_

_He let out a harsh laugh. "Wow Betty. Worried about our future? So instead of talking to me about it, you go and kiss my best- you go and kiss Archie?!" He was yelling at this point, but his eyes were filled with water. "Did it mean anything? Your.. whatever that was with Archie?"_

_Betty wiped a tear and looked down. "I.. I don't think so." She whispered._

_Jughead let his tears come down now. "You don't think so? What the fuck does that even mean Betty?" She flinched at his choice of words and didn't look up._

_"I always knew this would happen. The minute Archie changed his mind, you go running into his arms. Well done Betty! You got your knight in fucking armor." He grabbed his phone off his couch and began to walk away. Betty stood up immediately and grabbed his arm._

_"Juggie please!"_

_He yanked his arm away and turned to face her, and she tried to swallow the lump in her throat from seeing the look on his face. There were tears streaming down his cheeks but his eyes held anger. "Don't call me that. I'm done, Betty. I can't do this. I am not going to be your second choice."_

_"But you aren't! Jughead please, I love YOU, you have to believe me! Don't do this, I'll- I'll make it up to you somehow. Jug please."_

_For a second Betty could've sworn she saw a glimpse of love in his eye.. and then it was gone. The anger was gone as well. All she saw was pain._

_"I don't know what to believe anymore." And he walked out the front door._

Betty wiped the tear that came down her face at the memory. After all this time, she never stopped loving him. And now, here she was, heading to her childhood home. The last place she saw Jughead. 

She grinned when she arrived, seeing the familiar bright red front door her mother had painted. She drew in a breath and walked up to the porch. She knocked and stepped back. When the door opened, she saw shock on her mother's face before she was being hauled in for a big hug. She sighed at the warmth and smiled. She forgot how much she missed her mom. It wasn't like it's been 7 years since she last saw her own mother, but it had been a while since the last time her mom had come to visit her.

Alice badgered her with questions, wondering what she was doing home, and why she hadn't told her she was visiting. Betty knew the real reason she was back was to see _him._ She walked into the kitchen with her mom and sat at the bar stools. Alice could sense her distress and looked at her with soft eyes. 

"Elizabeth, what is it?"

Betty sighed. "Where is.. um.. FP?"

Alice wasn't expecting her to wonder about her old lover and friend but gave in anyways.

"He has work outside of town. After we ended things a few years back, he decided to move into his own place. _Alone_."

She emphasized the last word, as a way to push her toward asking about Jughead. Betty knew how her mom thinks. 

"So, where has Jughead been the last few years?"

Alice gave her sad eyes and began. 

"Well after you.. left, he was a wreck. He began to blame himself and," Betty looked at her with wide eyes. "Well Betty, he turned to drinking."

Betty felt the tear fall down her cheek. She had done this. It's her fault they broke up, her fault he blamed himself, her fault he started to drink.

"Where is he?" 

"He stays at the newly developed trailer park. It's where the old one used to be." She opened a drawer and pulled out car keys. She threw them at Betty for her to catch. "Take my car."

Betty nodded and headed out as fast as she could. As she drove to the trailer park, she wondered what he looked like. Maybe another version of FP during his worse days.. she prayed that he didn't.

Before she knew it, she was pulling up to the trailer park and spotted some Serpents she used to know. They looked at her with huge eyes and walked away before she had a chance to even take a step. She didn't question it and began searching for any sign of Jughead's trailer. She found a trailer that had a crown spray painted across the side and decided that was the one. She fixed her hair and pulled down her skirt a little so it wasn't to short. She found herself holding her breath as she walked up the trailer steps, and finally knocked. She heard some rustling and a swearword before the door was being pulled open. She wasn't prepared for what she saw.

Jughead had bags under his eyes like he hadn't slept in decades, and was holding a beer bottle. He was more fit than his high school days, but it was hard to tell under the baggy clothes he was wearing. He stood there in shock with watery eyes, just as she did. 

"Jug-"

"You need to leave." His rough voice croaked out.

"Please Jug, just give me a few minutes."

He blinked at her for a moment before moving to the side to let her in. 

The place wasn't terrible, but it smelled like an ashtray and she saw empty glass bottles everywhere. She walked up to the little desk against the wall and saw a few picture frames. One of him and the Serpents, one of Jellybean whom she noticed looked so grown. But in the corner of her eye she noticed something sticking out of his old copy of _In Cold Blood_. She picked it up and opened to the page, assuming it was a bookmark. Instead, there was an old photograph of her in her cheer uniform. She knew Jughead used to keep that photo everywhere. And he had kept it after all this time. She noticed a quote on the page highlighted in bright yellow.

_"I've tried to believe, but I don't, I can't, and there's no use pretending."_

She blinked back tears and quickly put the book back. When she turned around he was staring at her. Almost like if he moved, she would disappear. But he was first to start the conversation.

"Betty, what are you even doing here?"

She opened her mouth but no words came out. He took a seat on his couch and raised his eyebrows, prompting her to start confessing.

"I.. I just needed to. It's been too long."

"Welcome back I guess. You left, everything went to shit in my life, and now you're back. It's like a never ending circle of hell."

She blanched and sat down at the chair across from him. "Jughead," she began. "I'm sorry."

He scoffed. "That's it? You came back after 7 years to apologize to me? Why not just send a text?"

Betty felt heat rise to her cheeks. "Well you stopped taking my calls.." She began before realizing he was smirking a little bit and that it had been a rhetorical question. 

He observed her for a minute. "You look good."

She just gave a shy smile before playing with the ring on her right hand. 

"What, you don't think the same for me Betts?"

She looked up at the use of the old nickname and felt something stir in her belly. 

"I wish I could Jug. But what are you doing? Drinking? This isn't you. You don't do this."

He huffed. "You don't know me anymore Betty." He ran his fingers through his locks. "So don't act like you do. The Jughead that used to help you bake, and wear that stupid beanie is gone. He's dead. So just stop with the old girlfriend act and stop acting like you have me all figured out. Because you don't."

She felt herself getting angry. "I'm not trying to pretend I know you, I'm just.."

"Worried? Well don't be. You know what, I don't fucking need this right now and I sure as hell don't need you anymore. So please just leave and don't come back, again."

Betty was seething at this point. She wanted to shove him, or slap him. But she also wanted to throw her arms around him and cry.

"Fuck you, I'm not leaving." 

He exhaled and stood up. "Fine. You stay, _I'll_ leave." He began reaching for the door and Betty stood to grab his wrist. She could've sworn she was having deja vu.

"Jug! Don't you dare walk out and leave me like this."

"When he turned and felt her delicate fingers around his wrist, something inside him turned. And after a moment, the tears came crashing down. They've been walking on a fragile line, and it finally broke. Her face turned from anger to guilt. He fell to the ground and Betty fell with him. She held his head and waited minutes before both their crying subsided. 

"Please don't leave me again Betty. Please Betts, I shouldn't have pushed you away, it's my fault. It's all my fucking fault."

Betty let out a choked sobbed and shook her head. "No Juggie it wasn't your fault. I should've never did what I did to you and then left. Don't blame yourself, this is on me."

He finally sat up and looked at her. The pain, the anger, it was gone. In replacement was just that old look he used to give her when she smiled at him, or just met his gaze.

Love.

"Jug, I promise I won't leave you. I came back for _you_. I never stopped loving you. I'm so sorry for everything. You don't have to forgive me but you need to know how sorry I am."

"I never stopped loving you either. And Betty I forgave you years ago. I went down the rabbit hole though, and once you're in, its hard to get out."

She lifted her hand to his cheek. "I'll help you, with anything and everything. I love _you_."

He nodded. "I love you too." 

Betty stood, and helped Jughead up. They walked to his bedroom and she helped him under the covers. She began to walk away before she felt him grab her wrist. 

"Stay with me. Please." He had so much sadness in his eyes, she would never deny him. She slipped off her shoes and lied down next to him. They turned to face one another. A tear slipped out of her eye, and he wiped it up with his thumb. 

"You were like ghost for the last 7 years." He whispered in her ear. "Everywhere I turned, I only saw you. Every book, every movie, every thought was consumed by you."

_"You haunted me."_

**_fin_ **


End file.
